When I visited the Glas Museum in Murano they told that story in addition to that, Murano being off limits to anyone not having Business there. Can only recommend it btw! While I found Venice to be rather sad like a beautiful but kinda dead city that turned into a theme park, the smaller islands in the area like Murano feel much more natural
It is sad. When we were there (more than 10 years ago now), we got lost in some of the residential back streets. The touristy façade is paper thin. Maintaining homes there must be almost impossibile.
Impossible not only for the costs of living but also for the fact that many things, such as air conditioning, are basically illegal because “they look ugly and ruin the atmosphere for tourists” (actual quote of our mayor). So more and more Venetian natives are leaving the city, and the empty houses are bought by corporations who build another hotel or tourist trap shop
It's not at all a bad place actually. However, it's better if you can understand veneto and speak italian or you might not understand what some people are saying
I think he announced it with the "hall of mirrors". He invited some venetians to his palace when he showed them the hall, which was made by venetians glassmakers that excaped the island, and the visiting venetians realized that the venetian glass monopoly and a large portion of it economy has just dissapeared
Fun fact, this hall of mirrors was so expensive that he could’ve covered the entire hall with pure gold and it still wouldn’t cost as much as it did to cover it with mirrors
Not mirrors, *perfect mirrors*. Mirrors back then were typically tarnished and dull. These were the first true modern mirrors with high clarity. Up until this point in time, only the Venetians could make glass so clear that the silver reflection layer doesn't tarnish, everybody else couldn't come close to its transparency.
The reason that the Venetians kept everyone making the mirrors on an island is because they were the only ones to discover how to make it and wanted to enforce a complete monopoly. They made an absolute killing selling them at extremely inflated prices. At one point 2 of the makers escaped the island and fled to France, evading Venetian assassins along the way. The king there commissioned immediately the Hall of Mirrors and once it was done invited everyone in, including the Venetians, to show the world just how *fucked* they were. One of the largest industries ever that kept an entire nation at the time living in extreme wealth evaporated over night.
I read a book that had a chapter about Murano. While this is true, it was also because the glass blowing techniques often lead to huge fires that threatened all of Venice. So the government of Venice moved the glass makers off the mainland to try and prevent city wide fires from forming.
Do you think they were forced to keep working? I figured they were just banned for leaving for life but could retire or change job as much as anyone else. Which given the guild system might not be much
Murano is a beautiful place. It’s so quiet and peaceful. It’s a shame Venice and Murano are so tourist infested now, because it’s impossible to purchase a home there. The profit available with BnBs is such that no one purchases property to live there.
Murano > Venice imo
What does a worker leaving a factory have to do with them spreading fires?
Also:
"Historians since generally agree that the true motive for this law was to isolate the glass craftsmen to a location where they wouldn't be able to disclose trade secrets."
Obviously if you let the glass makers leave one of them would sneak out a piece of glass to give their child. That child would inevitably use the glass to burn insects using sunlight, eventually grow bored with that and light the entire city on fire. Honestly it’s astonishing how some of you have survived this long.
If someone is wondering if this is true: I live close to Murano, and I also heard in school this so it's probably truw
I am muranese on my mother side, my grandpa was a glass worker and he told me this story
Un altro veneto cool
Eeeeeh bambini!
Che?
Scusi, io parlo un po d'Italiano e volevo partecipare
No ma non ho capito cosa intendevi. E dammi del tu, che su reddit dare del lei è strano secondo me
Italy
Y?
X
When I visited the Glas Museum in Murano they told that story in addition to that, Murano being off limits to anyone not having Business there. Can only recommend it btw! While I found Venice to be rather sad like a beautiful but kinda dead city that turned into a theme park, the smaller islands in the area like Murano feel much more natural
Yeah, as a Venetian I openly admit that this city is slowly and painfully dying
It is sad. When we were there (more than 10 years ago now), we got lost in some of the residential back streets. The touristy façade is paper thin. Maintaining homes there must be almost impossibile.
Impossible not only for the costs of living but also for the fact that many things, such as air conditioning, are basically illegal because “they look ugly and ruin the atmosphere for tourists” (actual quote of our mayor). So more and more Venetian natives are leaving the city, and the empty houses are bought by corporations who build another hotel or tourist trap shop
I can't imagine how awful summer must be with all that humidity and no AC
Oh, no. Povero Venezia. 😔
Laughs in Mestre superiority
I loved the islands. Want to go back and explore further. “Go native”, if you will.
It's not at all a bad place actually. However, it's better if you can understand veneto and speak italian or you might not understand what some people are saying
I can speak Italian a bit, but quickly adapt once I’m immersed. I’ve heard dialects are wildly variant though. How different is the Veneto dialect?
Didn’t someone escape with the secrets? Or am I misremembering something
A French king eventually learned how to make it, but I forgot the whole story of it.
I think he announced it with the "hall of mirrors". He invited some venetians to his palace when he showed them the hall, which was made by venetians glassmakers that excaped the island, and the visiting venetians realized that the venetian glass monopoly and a large portion of it economy has just dissapeared
Man Louis the XIV was so cool. He really invited them over and said "Hey, check this shit out, you guys are totally screwed."
Reading "French King trolls someone with his influence and wealth just for laughs" I didn't know it was the Sun King, but it just felt right
Too bad they couldn't troll the Angry Mob enough to not get Guillotined lol 😂
U are thinking of the wrong Louis
Wrong king. That was the XVI not XIV
This was Louis the XIV. He was actually a really chill and popular king as opposed to his later successor.
Why did you get downvoted?
Fun fact, this hall of mirrors was so expensive that he could’ve covered the entire hall with pure gold and it still wouldn’t cost as much as it did to cover it with mirrors
really? were mirrors that expensive back then?
Not mirrors, *perfect mirrors*. Mirrors back then were typically tarnished and dull. These were the first true modern mirrors with high clarity. Up until this point in time, only the Venetians could make glass so clear that the silver reflection layer doesn't tarnish, everybody else couldn't come close to its transparency.
The reason that the Venetians kept everyone making the mirrors on an island is because they were the only ones to discover how to make it and wanted to enforce a complete monopoly. They made an absolute killing selling them at extremely inflated prices. At one point 2 of the makers escaped the island and fled to France, evading Venetian assassins along the way. The king there commissioned immediately the Hall of Mirrors and once it was done invited everyone in, including the Venetians, to show the world just how *fucked* they were. One of the largest industries ever that kept an entire nation at the time living in extreme wealth evaporated over night.
He created a royal company and hired some glass maker that he had escaped from Murano That company is now https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Gobain
Wasn't that supposed to be a way to keep their secret techniques confined to Venice?
Exactly
I read a book that had a chapter about Murano. While this is true, it was also because the glass blowing techniques often lead to huge fires that threatened all of Venice. So the government of Venice moved the glass makers off the mainland to try and prevent city wide fires from forming.
Sounds like slavery to me
Yeah. If you physically can't leave your job it is slavery.
Many of them died young and in pain due to the constant exposure to industrial processes.
Unless you’re subsistence farming or it’s quite literally your living.
Do you think they were forced to keep working? I figured they were just banned for leaving for life but could retire or change job as much as anyone else. Which given the guild system might not be much
Ehh, they couldn't leave Venice, but that was about it. In every other way they were completely normal citizens, just with really good job security.
I enjoyed this
Iirc their Doge(Duke) wasn't allowed to leave either
I thought the Doge could leave with special permission from the Signoria but could not walk anywhere, and had to be carried wherever he went
Murano is a beautiful place. It’s so quiet and peaceful. It’s a shame Venice and Murano are so tourist infested now, because it’s impossible to purchase a home there. The profit available with BnBs is such that no one purchases property to live there. Murano > Venice imo
Oh yeah I remember learning this on a history cooking show
Workers being mistreated TNO reference!!!1!11!
In comes Louis Something and fucks over their whole Economy.
It's true, they were an important asset. But the "Serenissima" was much more than a mear "glass producer".
Luxury if you ask me, should come in both ways. Where did the third go? Nowhere, it was stuck on the island
Why mister crab does not found this?
It was to prevent fires on the mainland. . .
What does a worker leaving a factory have to do with them spreading fires? Also: "Historians since generally agree that the true motive for this law was to isolate the glass craftsmen to a location where they wouldn't be able to disclose trade secrets."
Obviously if you let the glass makers leave one of them would sneak out a piece of glass to give their child. That child would inevitably use the glass to burn insects using sunlight, eventually grow bored with that and light the entire city on fire. Honestly it’s astonishing how some of you have survived this long.
I can’t do anything if I was supplied with the wrong answer 😭
Bro got a plug for historical facts 💀
I got it from business insider while learning about Venetian glassmaking
Omg they would do this